Absolution
by Winter Lilacs
Summary: It seemed like she was his only chance for absolution. To be released, not from sin, but from the tides of Fate. 3 - Rendezvous. "This is definitely not what I had in mind." -10passions challenge-
1. Sarcasm

**Disclaimer: **Naruto and all of its affiliates remain the sole property of Masashi Kishimoto.

Welcome to the first of (hopefully) many collaborations between _Solitude Whispers_, aka _Winter Yuy_, and _Tanya Lilac_. Enjoy.

Absolution

_By Winter Lilacs_

**Sarcasm**

Lee was someone in Konoha who was often undervalued. As a shinobi, some considered him incapable of subtlety. As a person, many labelled him as socially inept in more ways than one. Of course, though his team knew better**, **sometimes they chose to ignore the fact that he was more perceptive than they gave him credit.

And, lately, he'd noticed that Neji had been growing more sarcastic than usual. Lee had guessed that it was to be expected, what with some "out of town cousins" visiting, but when Tenten appeared to have caught the sarcasm bug, Lee began to wonder.

Take, for instance, a few days ago. Team Gai had met up at their old alcove, well before the summer heat struck the village. Neji was looking the slightest bit tired, and Tenten had only been too eager to take advantage of his delayed reflexes- or so she'd obviously hoped.

"Oh, Neji," she said sweetly, lounging casually on the bench, "you look tired. Go to bed past your bedtime last night?"

"Tenten," he replied tartly, and with just as much sarcasm, "you obviously missed a large portion of your beauty sleep."

"That's rich, coming from Mr. 'ten brushstrokes on this side, ten brushstrokes on the other'," Tenten replied, mimicking his voice.

"Oh, right," Neji rolled his eyes, "so you get to mock me, just because you don't have to bother with brushing your hair. How many split ends did you say you had, again?"

"Silence!" Maito Gai frowned. "I will not have such divisions on my team, amongst my youthful students."

Tenten and Neji both stood instantaneously and bowed their heads. She would have brought up the rivalry between Neji and Lee with another sarcastic quip, but thought the better of it.

With a sigh, Gai pulled out two pieces of paper with inky black characters scrawled across them and slapped them onto their backs. "Go into the forest and solve whatever problems you have," he said with an unusual sternness. "These seals will be activated if you move more than five meters apart from each other, or use chakra."

"What happens if they're activated?" Tenten asked quietly, suddenly humbled.

"They're exploding tags," Neji replied dully.

"Precisely," their teacher said, as sombre as they had seen him in a long time. "I wouldn't try taking them off, either."

As the two Jounin stalked off, Lee heard Neji mutter, "This is just how I wanted to spend my one day out of the house."

Tenten groaned, "Oh spare me the pain, great prodigy and bite me."

Lee smiled to himself. Perhaps sending them into the woods hadn't been the best way to solve _this_ argument. Either way, Gai was not going to revoke his well deliberated "punishment"; it had worked many times before, in situations more severe.

Tenten grinned as she watched Neji disappear in the cool shadows of the forest, the dewy grass releasing their bitterly fresh fragrance. His footsteps faded, and she frowned. He couldn't have gone _that_ far ahead. The seal on her back was reacting; it was _tingling_.

"Bastard," Tenten muttered as she began to run. Past the oak, birch and pine, she was finding it hard to sense where he was. Her heart was beating wildly and the cool air was chilling her sweat-

Suddenly, something came flying at her and shoved her roughly against a tree before she could even think to react. Her assailant was panting as heavily as she was, his smooth hands against her calloused ones as he pinned them above her head. His body was pressed up against her, his heart pounding in the same frenetic rhythm, his knee between her legs to make sure she didn't get any "smart ideas". He knew she could fight dirtier than most, given the right incentive. The kunoichi smiled meekly up into the silver eyes of the Hyuuga.

"I thought _I_ was supposed to be the sleepy one," he murmured between breaths.

"You _are_," she replied breathily, slipping her hands out of his sweaty grasp and holding the kunai she'd hidden to his throat.

Neji met her gaze with one of his own, and she shuddered in spite of herself. Even though his eyes had been burning with passion last night, it still shook her to the core every time, that _she _was the one that he blazed for.

She dropped the kunai as he claimed her lips, smiling inwardly as his scent washed over her again. His hands ran down her arms and cupped her face delicately before moving to the clasps on her shirt, revealing the tender flesh of her neck. Suddenly, it was too hot to be wearing clothes; too hot to be doing anything other than-

"_Shit_," Neji groaned and pressed his forehead against her shoulder.

"What?" Tenten asked, more frustrated that his lips were not against hers to think of anything else.

"The tags."

Tenten smiled and groaned, leaning her head back against the tree. She sighed.

"Another time, then," she winked at him and ran her fingers through his hair.

Neji smirked, and kissed her collarbone, normally hidden by her shirt.

Tenten's eyes slid shut once again, and winced as she felt his teeth graze across her skin. Her eyes snapped open and she looked down at him.

"Holy fuck, Neji! What part of _sarcasm _don't you get?"

"I don't know," he replied smugly, kissing her collarbone delicately. "Maybe I was just too sleepy to understand." He bit her again and she made a small noise in the back of her throat. A whimper, Neji realised.

Of course, when Lee came to check up on them half an hour later, he didn't ask why their clothes were so rumpled, or why the colour in Tenten's cheeks was high, or why their skin had a sweaty sheen. He just hoped they were too distracted by whatever it was they had done to "reconcile" their differences to notice two slips of paper which had fallen to the ground at the forest's edge.


	2. Hidden from the World

**Disclaimer: **Naruto and all of its affiliates remain the sole property of Masashi Kishimoto.

Absolution

_By: Winter Lilacs_

**Hidden from the World**

"Have you seen Hyuuga Neji lately?! Isn't he just the finest thing you have ever seen?"

"Oh, I know, girl. He's totally hot. I bet I could get him if I tried."

"No way. You'd have to get past his bitchy team mate first."

"She's too plain, too ordinary for the likes of Hyuuga-sama!"

It was normal for Tenten to hear such garbage as she strolled through the streets of Konoha to gather food for the night's supper. It seemed whenever she passed through this area, those four girls always went on their "Hyuuga Neji is so hawte" and "Oh-em-gee, I would do so many things to him" and "Tenten is a loser biznitch that needs to die" rant. She swore those girls done it on purpose, but she wasn't moved by their antics at all.

Little girls with two-digit IQs were no threat, after all.

After getting all of the food and spices, Tenten headed back towards her apartment. Normally she didn't let things get to her, but with the consistency of those girls smart remarks she couldn't help but get a little upset. Was she too plain and too ordinary? Did Neji think of her like that?

_If I keep thinking about these things, I won't be a very good dinner date_.

Climbing up the steps, the brunette fished her keys out of her pocket while juggling the bags of food. Once inside, she was greeted by her tabby cat, Alexis. She set down the bags on the kitchen table and showed Alexis some brief attention – because all cats want attention – before separating the food and getting to work on the meal.

Two hours passed by the time Tenten had finished the food. With a glance at the clock, she decided a quick shower wouldn't hurt. The hot water felt good on her tense muscle and seemed to make all of her troubles wash away for the brief minutes she spent under the spray of water.

By the time she had dressed – Tenten thought that a plain pair of black pants and three-quarter length sleeved pink top would be appropriate – a knock sounded at her door. She took a look over herself in the mirror, told herself that she hated it when her hair done the wavy thing (she kept it down for the night), and quickly went to answer the door.

"I didn't think you'd be coming."

The visitor quirked one of his finely shaped ebony eyebrows, "I always have before."

Tenten smiled and let Neji step inside her apartment, her chocolate orbs scanning him from head to toe. His white button up shirt was neatly tucked into his perfectly creased pants. Those silky strands of black hair were, for once, not bound at the end and flowed freely down his back.

It didn't take Tenten long to decide that Neji looked more appetizing than the meal she had made.

"Are you going to continue to stare at me all day or are we going to sit down and eat like we planned?"

_Shit_. Tenten had been caught in the act of oogling. "Whenever you're ready."

They entered the kitchen and sat down, Tenten serving the dish she prepared: baked catfish fillet with pecan sauce, a side salad, and red wine to drink. They ate in silence, Neji complimenting her on how good the fish turned out before going back to silence. Every time he flattered her, she flushed. It never failed.

After finishing, Tenten gathered the dishes and set out to serve dessert, but Neji stopped her.

"You've been quiet tonight. Is something on your mind?"

"No, well—yes, but not really," she set the dishes in the sink and turned to see Neji petting Alexis, who was perched in the male's lap.

He quirked a brow, "Either you do or you don't. You can't be okay and upset at the same time."

"Yes, I can."

"No, you can't. It's illogical."

She quickly served apple cheesecake and sat down rather ungracefully with an audible sigh.

"Well?"

"Am I too plain?"

"...excuse me?"

"You heard me! Am I too plain? Too ordinary?"

Neji was quiet for a long time before he answered. "Yes."

_Shot to the heart._

"So what got you thinking about this so suddenly?"

Tenten sighed, slumping in the chair like she'd just been stabbed. "There are these fangirls of yours in town that-"

"You actually care what people think?"

"-always say things about how I'm too plain and ordinary for you. Normally I'm fine with it, but I've heard the same thing for the past two years. Hearing this repetitiously like that will get to some people."

When Neji stayed silent, Tenten continued, "We've been doing this since we were sixteen, Neji. I get tired of hearing other people tear me down."

"I thought you wanted it this way, Tenten. You did say that it was none of no one's business what we done, which I agree with as well."

"I know."

"So, why this discussion now?"

She lowered her head, chestnut tresses falling over her shoulders, "I don't know."

The two were silent for a long time and Tenten thought that she might start crying before she felt Neji take his hand in hers. She looked up and was met by his opal eyes staring straight into her brown ones.

"Tenten, being plain and ordinary is something that I like about you."

"Neji..."

He knelt besides her, kissing her hand gently, "Besides, don't you think I get tired of hearing your fanboys say that I'm an effeminate loser?"

"I have fanboys?!"

Neji chuckled, "Yes, you do and they hate me with a passion so intense that I can't even begin to describe it."

Tenten laughed and leaned forward, her lips meeting Neji's in a brief kiss. When she pulled back, he grabbed her shoulders and brought her back towards him, kissing her in a way that made the room spin.

So weapon's mistress decided to let other people think what they may. Inside her little apartment, their relationship was hidden from the world and it was just how she wanted it to be.


	3. Rendezvous

**Disclaimer: **Naruto and all of its affiliates remain the sole property of Masashi Kishimoto.

Good morning, Tanya Lilac here. What can I say about Rendezvous? It's written for the prompt, "Secret Encounter", firstly. I also like the atmosphere... and I've always wondered what would happened if Tenten saw someone she knew while undercover.

Absolution

_By Winter Lilacs_

**Rendezvous**

The young woman sighed as she dipped brushes into pots of glittery powders and kohl. The ancient vanity at which she sat was just one of the many things in the room she'd been forced to call home for the past eighteen months. Beaded lamps stood on two mahogany bedside tables, surrounded by various paraphernalia that would have looked out of place in Konoha. Her armoire was open; clothes arranged in their colours; a habit "Evaline" had developed since childhood. Hidden in secret panels were tiny caches of weapons she had yet to use. The floor was meticulously clean, the walnut floorboards in need of a good waxing. The satin bed sheets, bought and paid for by a man from Suna, were emerald. They reminded her of home.

A black screen hid the only messy thing in her room, a vanity, from the eyes of those used to the dim greyness of shadows. Scarves were draped on the side of the mirror, beautiful necklaces were hung on a jewellery stand. Earrings, rings, bracelets, bangles and anklets were spilling out of the lacquer jewellery box, precious and semiprecious stones winking up at her in the dusky light. Brushes were scattered between bottles of exotic perfumes and expensive makeup, with the occasional sprinkling of coloured minerals mingled with dust and incense ash.

Tenten sighed. Evaline Crowne, the woman she had come to be, was a vain creature. She wore her hair in loose waves that flowed down to her waist, a rich hue of chestnut, sometimes adorned with hairpins and trinkets. She painted her lips every night, and lined her eyes with kohl. Her nails were immaculate, and painted all colours depending on her ever changing mood. Her hands were always soft and smooth, and scented with fragrant creams. Evaline had not been out in the sunshine for longer than two hours in a long time, but her milky skin always glowed with health, unlike the pallid complexions of her companions. Like her former self, she was a creature that belonged to the night time, with only the moon to guide her.

The kunoichi glanced over at the expensive armoire. Numerous gowns hung from coat hangers, each made of luxurious silks imported from far away lands. Masks were wrapped in linen and tucked away in the drawers, matching gloves and shawls folded away separately. She stood from the small stool and ran her fingers absentmindedly through her long hair before glancing in the mirror in the armoire door. The woman who stared back at her was beautiful and glamorous in an ethereal, mysterious manner. She seemed to exude a seductive quality, clothed as she was in a dressing gown.

With another sigh, Tenten picked out a dove grey dress. It was made of a sheer fabric that rippled as she walked. Strapless, and with a hem flowed down to the floor, the dress was adorned by glittering stones that spiralled up her lithe body. She paused to pin up her hair quickly before slipping into the gown. She smiled as she admired her reflection yet again. When she had first opened the box and pulled away the tissue paper, she could have sworn that –

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sharp knock.

"Miss Crowne," a young boy said from beyond the oak door, and Tenten heard the shy hesitation in his voice.

"Come in," she called, smoothing out the small wrinkles in the dress.

He opened the door and shut it behind him, gawking, as usual, at the richness of her room. The other rooms in this place were dirty, dingy things, and their women snarled like hyenas. This one was lovely; she always smelled sweet, and her voice was like honey.

"Miss Crowne," he said, seeing only the flash of dove grey silk from behind the armoire door. "They're ready for you now."

"How many are there, Lewen?" Tenten asked quietly, pulling on her black gloves. They were velvet. Normally, she hated the fabric, but these gloves…

"Seven," Lewen replied.

Tenten shut the armoire door and walked over to the vanity again before picking out her earrings. She turned back to the young boy, who was staring at her.

"Which one do you think looks better?" She held up two necklaces. "The pearls, or the diamonds?"

He said nothing, and she nodded and smiled as if he had spoken.

"I think the diamonds, tonight." She shut the clasp of the necklace, shivering slightly at the cool metal against her neck, and picked up a gold coin from the dresser before turning away. "How do I look?"

She twirled, and the young boy blushed. "B… Beautiful."

Tenten smiled. "Come, I'm sure someone is looking for you." She took his hand and pressed the coin into it before ushering him out of the room before her.

They slipped out into the dark corridor, the woman locking the door behind her before she tucked the key away in her bodice. Lewen scampered off in the opposite direction, and Tenten sighed. She had seen no other children here- the only ones near his age were the young girls on the verge of womanhood, but they'd been here for reasons entirely different.

The young woman slipped through the corridors and hallways with practised, light footed ease, nodding at the others she passed. Finally, she came to one of the few grey doors and tapped the wood lightly with her gloved hand. The door opened and the dusky light spilled into the dark corridor as a man peered through. He sighed in relief.

"Evaline," he murmured, slipping through. "Took your time, eh?"

She smiled. "You can't rush perfection," she murmured, her voice low and husky. Hinata, of all people, had trained her in manipulating her voice. It seemed like an age ago.

"Well," he said, flustered as always. "They're businessmen. Just-"

Tenten reached out to the door. "I know how to do my job, Noah."

And what was her job, precisely? Tenten knew several titles – none of them very pleasant. Customs in this land were strange. All women were… commodities, obviously. She entertained men; gave her body to them when they wanted it.

She'd been sent here undercover to investigate the place; there had been rumours that it was the base for a drugs operation, headed by none other than the successful businessman, Yamaguchi Ichiro. So far, she'd found nothing but several rich benefactors who had showered her with lavish dresses and exquisite jewellery. In moments of unguardedness, they'd revealed small gems of information, but nothing to found a full trial on.

Secretly, these past eighteen months away from everything familiar had been harder than she'd ever cared to admit. As much as she hated to sound like a clingy girlfriend, she'd missed Neji more than she'd ever thought imaginable. She had not forgotten the day that she'd left Konoha, and how he had kissed her in full view of everyone there. He had never been one for public displays of affection, but he had almost burned her with his need and passion. The thought of it now made her smile.

Brushing her thoughts aside with a small toss of her hair, she stepped into the small chamber behind Noah, and her breath caught.

"Gentlemen," Noah announced, "I present Evaline Crowne."

"Ahh, so this is the Evaline I've been hearing about," a young man murmured. His silky hair framed his face, a deep, familiar shade of mahogany. His eyes were as blue as the summer sky she missed, and he was breathtakingly handsome.

Tenten moved into the centre of the room eyes downcast, and he stood, admiring her form as be began to walk around her in an almost predatory fashion. She didn't care. That voice just kept sending shivers down her spine.

"Perfect, just perfect," he murmured, stroking the warm flesh on her shoulder. "You're right, Ichiro, she is beautiful. I don't know why you didn't show her to me earlier." He stood before her, and ran his fingers through her hair as he cupped her cheek. "Look up," he commanded softly. She met his gaze and was taken aback by the blatant passion and lust they held.

"Hey, Hiroshi," Ichiro said, bemused as he sipped his brandy. "Don't steal her from the rest of us before we've had a chance. I've been hearing nothing but good about this one. So cold and beautiful now, but all wild fire between those emerald sheets of hers…"

Tenten heard the lustful inflection in his voice, but was beyond care. He was _here_.

Without warning, he captured her lips roughly. His lips tasted like the fiery alcohol he'd been drinking, but he smelled… he smelled just like home. He smelled like the cotton sheets on her bed, like laundry in the spring… like the wind on an autumn afternoon. It was how her dress had smelled when she'd first opened it. Like _him_.

But she was careful, so very careful it hurt. She responded like she would as if he was anyone else, as if he was a perfect stranger- with a kind of coolness devoid of intimacy. He stepped back, grinned, and sat back down, beckoning to her. Tenten played the part, and her eyes flickered to Noah, who shrugged and nodded.

The young man pulled her into his lap, and conversation continued.

"She's a pretty little thing," he said, his hands running all over her body. "I like her." He smiled at Ichiro from across the room. "Can I have her?"

The older man sighed heavily. "It's a heavy thing you ask, Hiroshi."

"But she's just so…" He kissed her neck, breathing in the scent of her perfume. "… delicious. I _have_ to have her. Surely, you can let me have this one, just for tonight?"

Ichiro laughed. "You haven't been this taken with any of the others; I suppose it _is_ your turn."

"Evaline," he said finally, as if savouring her name. "Evaline."

She looked down at him, still speechless. Her hands hidden by the shadows of the room, she allowed herself to run her fingers through his hair, and the corner of her mouth upturned in a slight smile.

*****

It wasn't until much later when the pair lay in each other's arms that Tenten heard her name- her _real _name- spoken for the first time in over a year.

"Tenten," Neji whispered against her neck, his eyes no longer masked by the henge he'd cast. "I've missed you."

"You have no idea how much I wanted to hear you say that." Tenten smiled and kissed him. Suddenly, she paused as a thought crossed her mind. "I hope you haven't been feeding Alexis too much."


End file.
